Mounting for whiffletrees.



No. 700,004. Patented sept. 2,' |902. E. w. M. BMLEY.

MIIUNTING` FOR .WHIFFLETREES (Application med im. 10L 1901.)

(Nlulodel.)

Y Wtzsseis': Y l Inman-tor.' 6 Z5 QAM Edwin Wjlaz'ley,` Y Y A a WM 5%UNITED STATES PATENT 1 -OEEIGEL EDWIN. W. BAILEY, OF AMESBURY,MASSACHUSETTS.

MOUNTING FOR WHIFVFLETREES.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 708,004, dated September2, 1902.

Application filed October 16, 1901. Serial No. 78,816. (No model.) i

.To a/ZZ whom it muy concern.:

l Be it known that I, EDWIN W. M. BAILEY, acitizen of the United Statesof America, and a resident of Amesbury, in the county of Essex and Stateof Massachusetts, have invented certain new andV useful Improvements inMountings for Whiflietrees, of which the following is a specification.

My invention 'relates to improvements in a means for mounting thewhiftletree of wagons upon the cross-bar or support, and has for itsobject the provision of such a device which shall be strong and durableand which shall permit the free turning of the whifiietree. In thedevices ordinarily employed the cross-bar andone or two intermediateplates are traversed by a bolt which is fast in the whiiletree and turnsin the cross -bar, the parts being retained in place by a nut at thelower side of the latter. It is found that in use the plates wear, andthe bolt in turning wears the cross-bar and it soon becomes necessary totighten up the nut to take up the play. This throws a strain upon thebolt, which gradually weakens it and frequently causes it to break, itbeing further weakened by the common practice of breaking down orupsetting some boltthreadsto prevent the nut from being loosened by thejar and the consequent diiiiculty in turning said nut when it isnecessary to tighten it. Moreover, the plates are usually elongated inone direction and are unprotected at the meeting surfaces as they turn,gathering dust and dirt and causing friction and wear. My inventioneffectively overcomes these difficulties.

In the accompanying drawings,'Figure 1 is a side elevation of thecentral portion of a cross-bar and whiftletree connected by 011e form ofmy improved mounting, parts being broken away. Fig. 2 is a transversevertical section on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a bottom plan viewof the plate attached to the whiftletree. Fig. 4 is a central verticalsection thereof. Fig. 5 is a bottom plan-view of the plate attached tothe cross-bar, and Fig. 6 is a central vertical section thereof.

Similar characters indicate like parts throughout the several figures ofthe drawings.

^ The numerals'lO and 11 designate, respectively, the whiftletree of awagon and its supporting cross-bar, which extends in the ordinary mannerbetween the thills. To the cross.- bar is secured a metallicpplate 12,preferably circular in form and provided with a central` circularopening 13. This plate may be retained in place by any desired means, inthe present instance by a plurality of screws 14, extending throughopenings 15, which are countersunk to receive the screw-heads. To assistthe screws in holding the plate against lateral displacement, an annularprojection 15' is provided at the outer or lower side, conveniently atthe edge of the opening 13, this projection preferably having a reducedor sharpened outer edge, which may be readily forced into the wood. Theprojection is easily produced in the manufacture of the device by theuse of a cutting-olf tool having an inclinedinstead of the usual squarepoint. The opposite or upper face 15" of the plate may be plane andsubstantially parallel to the cross-bar. The whiftletree carries asecond metallic plate 16 for coaction with the plate l2, the plate 16also being preferably circular and being secured to the whiftletree by a4plurality of retaining elements extending through openings 17. Aportion of these elements, here shown as two in number, may be screws18, takinginto the whiffietree,wl1ile two other elements may be rivet-s19, extendin@ u through the whiiiletree and having.

their outer ends upset upon washers 20. The heads of all these securingelements are countersunk below the inner face 20 of the plate, whichsurface is substantially parallel to the face of the whiiiietree andcontacts with the face 15" of the companion plate. all the securingelements lie whollyvwithin the circumference of the plates proper andare heldby the contact of the members against displacement.

At the center of the plate 16 is a preferably l circular opening 21,about which is an annular flange 22, fitting the opening 13, so that alate-ral bearing is furnished, about which the whiffletree turns, theinner surfaces 15 and 20 of the plates coperating to take any verticalpressure or thrust. From the outer edge of this plate depends an annularflange or skirt 23, extending down over the plate 12 Thus into closeproximity to the surface of the cross-bar, effectively preventing theentrance of dust and dirt, which even if it finds its way between thecross-bar and the edge of the ange cannot rise between the plates. Thespace between the flanges 22 and 23 furnishes an annular recess, withinwhich the plate 12 may be entirely received save its engaging projection15', which causes the opposite outer faces to lie in close proximity toor in actual contact with the whililetree and cross-bar, respectively.These two members are therefore separated only by the thickness of theplate 1G. The upper surface of the plate 16 is provided with a centralrecess 24, which may be circular with a downwardly and inwardly inclinedwall or countersunk, this recess lying partly, if necessary, within thematerial of the flange 22. Through the openings 13 and 21, with its headsuitably formed to lie within the recess 24, extends a bolt 25, passingrdownward through an opening 26 in the cross-bar and retained in place bya nut 27, abutting against the lower side thereof or against aninterposed washer 28. The bolt is provided with means to prevent itsrotation in the cross-bar, which may consist of lateral projections,here shown in the form of a squared portion 29. As the bolt is forcedinto place in assembling the elements the apexes of the angles of thissquared portion are adapted to be forced into and firmly engage thecross-bar for the purpose just set forth. The maximum transversedimension or diameter of the squared portion between opposite apexes isless than the circular opening in the plate 16, which therefore leavesthis portion of the bolt, which serves to prevent its rotation, freefrom engagement with the plates or capable of turning therein before themounting is applied to the Whiiiletree and cross-bar. It is evident thatin use this throws the stress which arises from its maintenance in arelatively fixed position upon a part of the wagon structure which mightbe termed a primary member,7 and not upon a secondary member, which issecured in place by screws or the like, liable to work loose under thestress upon them. By this construction the integrity of the mounting ismaintained without attention under long-continued use. It will befurther seen that in operation the bolt and its nut remain stationarywith relation to the wagon members and that there is therefore notendency for the nut to loosen and no strain is brought upon the boltsave what slight amount is necessary to prevent the vertical separationof the plates. The Wear is taken entirely by metal surfaces which arestrongly secured in place.

The device is neat and compact, the only part appearing besides therivet-heads and the bolt end with its nut being the edge of a singleplate, while the contact of this exposed plate with the elastic wood ofwhich the whiffletree and cross-bar are formed renders the devicepractically dust-proof.

Having thus described my invention, I claim- 1. The combination with apair of members com prisinga whiftletree and its support, of aninterposed plate secured to each, and a bolt serving to prevent theseparation of the members passing through the plates and support andprovided with means for preventing its rotation engaging said support,which means is free from such engagement with the plates andwhiflletree.

2. The combination with a whifletree and its support, of an interposedplate secured to each and having a circular opening, and a bolt passingthrough the openings in the plates and being provided with a squaredportion of less transverse dimension than the circular openings forengaging the support.

3. The combination with a pair of members comprising a whiilietree andits support,of an interposed plate provided with a recess and having itsopposite outer faces each in close proximity to one of the members andbeing secured to one of them, a second plate secured to the other memberand located Within the recess in the first plate, and a bolt passingthrough the plates and the support and having means for preventing itsrotation engaging said support, which means is free from such engagementwith the plates and whiftletree.

4. The combination with a pairof members comprising a whiiltletree andits support, of an interposed plate provided with a sharp enedprojection adapted to be forced into engagement with one of the members,means for securing the plate to said member, and a bolt passing throughthe plate and at least one of the members.

5. The combination with a pair of members comprising a whiffletree andits support,of an interposed plate provided with a central opening and areduced or sharpened projection surrounding said opening adapted toengage one of the members, means for securing the plate tosaid member,anda bolt passing through the opening in the plate and at least one ofthe members.

6. The combination with a pair of members comprising a whiiletree andits support, of a plate secured to one of the members provided with arecess on the side toward said member and a recess on the side towardthe companion member, a plate secured to the companion member andsituated Within the lastnamed recess, and a bolt extending through theplates having its head located entirely within the first-named recessand being provided with means for preventing its rotation engaging thesupport.

7. The combination with a pair of members comprising a Whiletree and itssupport, of a circular plate secured to one of the members provided witha recess on the side toward said IOO IOS

IIO

member andan annular recess on the side toward the companion` member,-anannular plate secured to the companion member and situated within thelast-named recess, and a bolt extending through the plates having itshead located entirely Within the plate-recess and being provided withmeans for preventing its rotation engaging the support.

8. The combination with a whiietree and its support, of a plate securedto said support, a coacting plate secured to the Whifiiet'ree providedwith a skirt or iiangeextending down- Ward about the first-named plateand contacting at all times with the support, and a bolt passing throughthe plates and support.

9. The combination with a Whiflietree and its support, of a platesecuredto said support, a coacting plate secured to the Whiiiietreeprovided with a skirt or ange extending doWnward about the first-namedplate and'contacting with the support, and a bolt provided with asquared portion passing through the squared portion extending outsidethe plates Von the side toward the nut.

12. A mounting for Whiftletrees comprising a plate provided with alcountersunk recess and an oppositely-placedannular recess'and beingsubstantially equal in thickness tothe desired distance between thewhifdetree and its support, an annular plate adapted to ocy cupy therecess in the iirst plate, and a bolt provided Vwith a squared portionpassing through the plates and having its head situated in thecountersunk recess.

13.- A mounting for whilletrees comprising a pair of coacting plates oneof which is provided With a projection at its outer side adapted tobeforced into the member to which'it may be secured, and a bolt passingthrough the plates and carrying a nut on the side at t which theprojection is situated.

14. A mounting forwhiftletrees comprising a pair of coacting plates oneof which is provided With an annular reduced or sharpened projection atits outer side adapted tobe forced into the member to which it may be fsecured, and a bolt pass-ing through the plates and carrying a nut onthe sideV at which the projection is situated. Y

Signed' by me at Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America, this9th day of October, 1901.

EDWIN W. M. BAILEY. Witnesses:

WALTER E. LOMBARD, SYLvANUs H. COBB.

